Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Grosse Pointe Public School's Child Development and Preschool Program. We will be closed Wednesday November 21-Friday November 23 in celebration of Thanksgiving. We are thankful for all of the amazing children and families we get to work with each day!!

Pumpkin Auction

It is time for the annual Barnes Pumpkin Auction! We love seeing the creative pumpkins available year after year! Each child gets a token to cast a vote for their favorite pumpkin. Then the pumpkins go up for auction!! Who will take home their favorite pumpkin this year? All of the proceeds benefit the Barnes Early Childhood Program.

Happy Halloween!

Miss Wayne County

Yesterday, Miss Wayne County visited our Monteith program to talk about STEM and make slime with the students. The children helped measure ingredients and stir the mixture together. They discussed how it was changing properties, and what it felt like. This visit supported our math and science curriculum objectives with hands on learning.

They also had the opportunity to hold Miss Wayne County's crown, and try it on. Miss Wayne County is a scholarship program affiliated with the Miss America Organization. Each representative chooses a cause close to their heart and dedicates their year of service to supporting that cause. Shelby's cause is STEM, and she believes it is important for all ages to have experiences in Science. Technology, Engineering and Math.

Open House

Just a reminder, the Grosse Pointe Public School District Wide Open House is this Sunday from 1:00pm-3:00pm. All buildings will be open for tours, and opportunities to meet with staff! We hope to see you there!

Waste Free Lunch

We are starting our third week of school!! It has been such a blast getting to meet new friends and teachers. We want to encourage everyone to help us keep our school green by participating in our Waste Free Lunch movement. Reusable containers and silverware make a big difference. 

A Waste-Free Lunch 

• Sandwiches and other main dishes, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and treats in a reusable lunch container
• reusable forks and spoons (we will have extra if you forget to pack)
• reusable drink containers
• reusable lunchboxes

For more tips or ideas, please call the Preschool Office. 

Back to School

We are just one month away from back to school! We are enjoying the last few weeks of our summer program while simultaneously getting ready for the new school year. Welcome Emails from your child's teacher will be out in a few weeks, filled with important information about the daily routine and what to bring to school.

If this school year will be your child's first experience at school, we have a few tips to help with the transition.  

• Start talking with your child about the first day of school. If you are excited, your child is likely to be excited as well.

• Practice your morning routine before the first day. If your child has had a different schedule during the summer, you may want to practice going to bed early or waking up early. 

• Create a consistent drop off routine. Maybe you'll give two hugs and one kiss before you say goodbye. Maybe you will help your child sign in, and give a high five. Whatever you decide, we recommend saying goodbye and letting your child know you will be back after school instead of slipping away or using distraction. Drop off will get easier every day.

• Double check your supplies. Label everything with your child's name or initials. This will help ensure that your child will have the items intended for your child. It will also help prevent items from getting lost or going home with the wrong family. Bottles for the infant room should be labeled with your child's name, date and contents. A supply list is posted on our website.

• Send in a lovie. If your child has a special blanket, or stuffed animal that helps them feel safe, you can send it in. You can also send in a family photo so your child can see you all day long. 

• Check in on your child. If you are feeling nervous about the first day, feel free to call your child's teacher or send an email to see how they are doing. Your child's teacher will also send an update to all parents through our Homeroom app.

Please call the Preschool Office if you have any questions! We will be seeing you soon!

STEM

Yesterday, we were honored to have a visit from Miss St. Clair Shores, Shelby McPherson. Shelby is a graduate from Lawrence Technological University where she studied Architecture and Construction Management. She shared with the students her passion and involvement with STEM. She linked their current experiences- drawing pictures, constructing with legos, to STEM.

She led the students through two activities. The first was building with toothpicks, marshmallows and gum drops. The students constructed various configurations, and shapes. Shelby talked about how making a strong base would allow their structures to grow taller.

Second, the students did an experiment with Chromatography. They saw how one color is made up of many colors. They colored with a single color on a coffee filter and observed the colors separate in water.

We really enjoyed our visit from Miss St. Clair Shores! We wish her the best as she continues to grow in STEM!